Stowed Away
by White N Nerdy
Summary: The untold story of the Venture’s youngest crew member, from Jimmy’s initial appearance in the ship’s cargo hold, to his very first adventure on the high seas of the Atlantic and beyond...
1. Stowaway

**Stowed Away**

_Rated K+ for minor violence and brief language._

**Foreword**

I love both King Kong films I am actually very surprised that after the most recent one there aren't like a million Jimmy back story stories here. I know I for one was intrigued by the character and his mysterious and barely mentioned past, and the idea for a story hasn't left my brain since I saw the movie in theaters.

So here you have it—my version of how Jimmy came to be a part of the Venture crew, featuring chloroform induced flashbacks of his childhood. The whole story is ten chapters long, and you can expect regular updates.

Ooh…except for now. Chapter I's kinda teaserish, as I will not be able to post for…oh, I dunno…like two weeks. I'm taking a personal vacation from life, work, etc. So enjoy the story as it is so far, and I will come back with Chapter II ASAP.

**Chapter I: Stowaway**

Sometime in December of 1929…

A feral growling coming from below deck was loud enough to drown out even the pounding of the sea. It was distracting everyone from their duties on board, even the ship's usually stoic captain.

"What is that damned _noise_?" Englehorn growled in frustration as he looked up from his maps.

His newly promoted first mate, Mr. Hayes, merely shrugged. "Restless animals, I suppose."

Englehorn growled again in response. It had been a frustrating journey for all since their departure from southern America. They had been to the very bottom of the continent to acquire the rare black cats and prime apes that resided in the dense jungles there. It was dangerous and illegal work, capturing and selling these animals, but times were hard, in the States as well as the rest of the world, and Englehorn and his crew found themselves doing what they needed to do to survive.

What had been especially trying about this particular job was that the Bronx Zoo in New York City, with its usually thriving collection of exotic animals, had only purchased one of their three cats and none of the half a dozen monkeys. The stock crashing even affected the zoos—no one could afford to entertain themselves anymore, let alone fend for their families.

The _USS Venture_ had just departed from the city and headed for Europe, hoping that the zoos in London would be more willing to pay for their products. But if the noise kept up the way it was, the crew would go crazy before they'd even crossed the Atlantic.

"The creatures didn't make this much noise before," the captain commented in his deep, German accent.

Hayes just shrugged his wide shoulders again. "Maybe they miss their friend."

Englehorn looked up at him. "You know as well as I do, Hayes, that these are nothing more than dumb animals. Whatever is wrong with them they've been at it for two days now. And if the noise doesn't cease soon we will be forced to throw them overboard."

"Aye, captain," Hayes said, getting the hint. He turned on his heel and left the cabin, hoping to find why the animals had been so distressed since the ship had departed from New York. He would be damned if they were forced to throw the creatures overboard. There was supposed to be a big payoff for this particular cargo. Then the ship could afford more than their handful of crew members to keep the ship running.

Once on deck, he was quick to approach the small Oriental man that was mopping the floor and humming merrily to himself, seemingly oblivious to the sound coming from below.

"Hey, Choy!"

The bewildered Choy looked up from his work and smiled at the first mate. "Morning, Mr. Hayes," he said brightly in his heavily accented English.

Not wanting to waste time with pleasantries, Hayes quickly got to the point. "Choy, do you have any idea what's wrong below deck?"

The Asian looked thoughtful for a moment, listening intently to the noise. "They sound hungry."

"Well have they been fed?"

"Sure they have, skipper. I bring them food yesterday, Lumpy bring them breakfast this morning."

"And where is Lumpy now?"

"Kitchen, sir."

Hayes nodded his thanks.

In the kitchen Lumpy looked a little more crazed than usual as he stirred at something in his giant pot. It was obvious the man hadn't gotten any sleep these past two nights. None of them had. Another crew member, known simply as Mickey, stared sleepily into his breakfast. Mickey, with his tall stature and shaved head, was a tough guy that so far no one had dared to cross. Hayes didn't want to know what would happen if this guy got really mad, and the way he was looking into his bowl, it seemed the man was on the verge of taking his frustrations out on his meal.

"Lumpy, what'd you give those animals this morning?"

Lumpy sighed at the first mate and grumbled something that sounded like, "same thing I do every mornin'. I swear we take care of them damn things better than we take care of ourselves. Then I told 'em to shut the hell up. My guess is they didn' listen."

So if they weren't hungry, what was the matter with them?

"Come on," Hayes commanded. "We're going to check this out."

Lumpy nodded and straightened up to follow Hayes out the door. "Let's go, Mick. Maybe there'll finally be some excitement 'round here."

* * *

The three descended to the lower cargo deck where the animals were kept. Hayes went first, followed by Lumpy and Mickey. The noise was even worse down here—the monkeys were practically shrieking at the growling jaguars in the cage across from them.

Lumpy examined the monkeys' cage first. "I left ther damn fruit right here. Must've eaten the bowl too."

But Hayes shook his head as his mind went over scenarios in his head. He could come to only one conclusion. "They didn't even get their bowl," he said in a hushed tone. "Someone took it when you left."

Lumpy nodded his head. "Then the monkeys got ticked, an' the cats got ticked 'cause of the monkeys."

Mickey thought hard about this. "You don't think…?"

Hayes merely nodded, already knowing without saying anything what the other was indeed thinking. Stowaway. Someone had snuck on board while they were docked in New York, and now said intruder was surviving on rations that were barely enough to keep their live cargo alive to begin with. This could not be tolerated.

Cracking his knuckles, Hayes moved forward between the cages, motioning for Lumpy and Mickey to spread out and look as well. While the others took the two sides, Hayes moved straight down the middle, peering casually into the many empty, barely kempt cages. He had been on the _Venture_ for a few years now working under Englehorn and had surprisingly never encountered a stowaway before. He just assumed no one was dumb enough to hole up with a bunch of vulgar, smelly animals.

At the end of the row Hayes found himself meeting up once again with Lumpy and Mickey, both of whom shook their heads. They'd found as much as he did. There was only one place left to check… All three men turned to their right towards the furthest part of the room, the corner where a cage held the largest and most dangerous animals. Currently it was empty—or it was _supposed_ to be empty.

In the far corner of the small enclose, hidden in the shadows, was a figure laying on its side with its back to them. It was, as Hayes had expected, a bum. The small person was wearing a baggy and fraying coat and pants to match. But in the shadows it was hard to tell exactly who the stowaway was.

Lumpy was the first to step forward. "Hey, fella," he said loudly. When he received no response he called out again, this time lightly kicking the figure in the back.

The bum surprised them all when he suddenly shot up and backed quickly away. If his reaction wasn't enough to shock them, his appearance was. The stowaway was indefinitely a he, though he was just a boy—a short but lanky boy. His dirty blonde hair was as wild as the wide blue eyes that stared up at Hayes and the others from the shadows.

"Kid," Lumpy said, breaking the stunned silence. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doin' down here…" He took a step into the cage as the boy inched further away with his back pressed into the corner. "Come on, now. You don't belong there—"

He reached for the boy to try to entice him out of the small space, and was met with what sounded like a low growl and a kick to the crotch.

Lumpy gasped and immediately doubled over, his non squinted eye bulging in surprise and pain.

While he was incapacitated and Hayes and Mickey were staring at their now injured companion, the young stowaway dashed out of the cage. But the sailors were not easily distracted for long. Mickey didn't hesitate to lash out, grasping the kid's right arm tightly in his fist.

The boy suddenly stopped, his knees buckling as he let out an agonizing cry. The three were shocked by the sudden outburst, but Mickey did not release his grip on the stowaway's arm.

"Ease up, Mick," Hayes said after seeing how badly the boy was hurting.

Mickey looked slightly disappointed but did as he was instructed and reached for the kid's collar to haul him up off the ground. The boy twisted and struggled, acting much like the caged animals did when they did not want to be captured. "Hey," Mickey yelled, frustrated with the stowaway's actions. "You shouldn't have been down here in the first place, if ya didn't want to get caught…"

Whatever was left of Mickey's threat was cut off suddenly by his scream of pain. When his hand had come too close to the boy's mouth, the boy didn't hesitate to bite down on it. Mickey immediately released his captive and cradled his injured hand, much as Lumpy was still hunched over in pain with his hands between his legs.

The boy took one last look at them before he turned, stumbling slightly as he dashed down the lane and around a corner. Hayes didn't hesitate as he took off running in the other direction. He knew the kid was heading for the exit, only he was taking the long way. Hayes knew the labyrinth of cages like the back of his hand and took a shorter route, and stood at the stars leading above, waiting for the kid.

Sure enough, barely a second after Hayes had arrived, the young stowaway came barreling around a corner, his injured arm tucked close to his chest. He stopped short, his eyes wide as he realized there was a large, dangerous looking black man blocking his exit. The boy took a step back, his eyes now darting back and forth as he searched frantically for another way out.

Hayes, not wanting the kid to freak out and run away again, took a small step down and said with the most gentle voice he could muster, "easy, kid. No one's going to hurt you."

The boy suddenly stiffened and looked up at Hayes, making eye contact for the first time. The two were engaged in an intense staring contest for a few seconds as Hayes looked the stowaway over in the light. The kid was pale, unnaturally so, and Hayes frowned as he noticed bruises around his eye and on his neck that Hayes hadn't been able to see before in the shadows. The boy's lip was split too, right down the middle, and the front of his tattered shirt was stained with drops of blood. Hayes felt his hard expression soften when he saw the battered state the stowaway was in.

The boy seemed to realize Hayes was telling the truth that he wasn't going to hurt him. He relaxed a little, his wide, wild eyes never leaving Hayes' as he parted his dry lips to say something. He'd barely gotten a squeak out, however, when a shadowed figure suddenly appeared beside him. He didn't even get a second to react before Mickey slammed a heavy chloroform bottle against the side of his head.

Hayes watched as the boy's eyes rolled into his head and his body tipped over, falling into a crumpled heap at Mickey's feet. Hayes glared at his ship mate.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Mickey gently placed the still intact bottle of chemicals in the crate where it belonged, nursing his bitten hand as he did so. "What? The little bastard bit me! He deserved this," he said, nodding to the prone figure on the ground. "Shouldn't have been on the ship anyway. Now I've probably got rabies or somethin'…"

Hayes glared at the man, who suddenly cowered under his superior officer's scrutinizing gaze. He had nothing to say after that.

A scuffling sound came from down the way and Hayes looked up just as Lumpy came waddling forward, still hunched over with his hand between his legs.

"You alright, sailor?" Hayes said, nodding to him.

"Oh yeah," Lumpy rasped in an unusually high pitched growl. "I'm jus' peachy."

"Good," Hayes said. He crouched down to examine the boy's newest head wound. There was no blood, but a bruised lump was already forming on his temple. Hayes glared up at Mickey.

"What," Mickey said, indifferent to what he'd done. "Is he dead or something? Not like it matters. Captain'll probably have him thrown overboard anyway. We're too far out to bring him back."

Hayes straightened up with the unconscious stowaway held limply in his arms. "No one's throwing anybody over board."

"Well, what in the hell are we going to do?" Mickey called to Hayes' back as the man started up the stairs.

Hayes didn't stop his progression to look Mickey in the eye as he muttered honestly, "I don't know."

_

* * *

_

See you in two weeks :)


	2. USS Venture

**Chapter II: USS Venture**

Hayes had left the cabin for five minutes. Five minutes, and he could already hear yelling and crashing sounds coming from inside.

Their stowaway was in there, being watched by Lumpy and Choy. After coming up from below deck, Hayes had dropped the boy onto the cot in his cabin. Mickey and Lumpy had followed, with Choy following Lumpy around curiously once they'd come up on deck. They'd stayed in there for quite a while, just watching the kid sleep when Hayes decided that one of them needed to tell the captain.

"I'm going to get some supplies and help the boy, but someone else has to tell Englehorn," Hayes had said. As first mate, the last thing he wanted to do was give his captain some potentially bad news.

"I just following Lumpy," Choy said innocently. "I not even find stowaway."

"Little brat bit my hand," Mickey growled.

"Yeah? Well how'd you like to get yer family jewels kicked in?!"

No one wanted to deal with the issue at hand, and Mickey kept insisting that throwing him overboard was the only solution.

After quite a lively but nonsensical debate, Hayes had decided the four of them would have to draw straws to determine who would go. Mickey came up short and grumbled some profanities under his breath as he left to find the captain. Hayes had yet to get the supplies he'd wanted, which left Lumpy and Choy to keep an eye on the kid. And now, as Hayes returned to his cabin, it sounded like things were not going as well as he'd left them.

"What the hell…"

Upon entering the room Hayes, nearly dropped the jug of water he was carrying in shock as he gazed at the scene before him. Apparently their stowaway had woken up and acted just as he had in the cages. The cot Hayes had left the boy on was overturned with the sheets strewn over the floor. A wooden chair was knocked over, as well as a number of books and knick 

knacks Hayes kept on the shelves in his small cabin. The cause of the ruckus was standing tense in one corner staring at the opposite side of the room where Lumpy and Choy had taken cover behind a small table. The boy had been wielding a bronze casted head Hayes had gotten from Africa as a weapon but froze when Hayes entered the room.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

He looked to Lumpy and Choy, who simultaneously shrugged and shook their heads. He turned to the kid who was staring at him with wide blue eyes. Downstairs he'd looked wilder than anything else. Now he looked absolutely terrified. Hayes took a step forward only to have the boy press further against the wall in an attempt to get as far away from the larger man as possible. His left arm shook as he held the statue in his grip while his right arm stayed tucked uselessly against his chest.

"Calm down, kid," Hayes said as gently as he could. "No one's going to hurt you."

The boy's eyes darted from Hayes to Lumpy and Choy then back to Hayes.

"Now put that down, and just relax, okay?"

He didn't let go of the statue. Instead he looked up at Hayes, fear still evident on his pale face, and said in a voice barely louder than a hoarse whisper, "Are you gonna make me go back?"

Hayes blinked in surprise. "Go back? Go back where? The city?"

The boy swallowed hard and nodded.

"No, I guess we won't make you go anywhere," Hayes said calmly. He held his hand out. "Now…just give that to me so we can all calm down."

The boy slowly handed over the small statue, his eyes never leaving Hayes' as he did so. It was only in the split second that their hands touched that Hayes realized the boy was shaking ever so slightly.

Sighing, Hayes turned his chair upright and sat down so he was eye level with the boy. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn't have any experience with kids. This one looked to be maybe eleven or twelve years old. How was he supposed to deal with a panicked and scared eleven year old run away?

He glanced back at Lumpy and Choy, who were now standing up behind the table. They looked as lost as he felt. He turned back to the boy, who had never stopped staring at him with those glossy blue eyes.

"What's your name, kid?"

The boy blinked, obviously surprised by the question. "Um…it-it's James…"

Hayes had barely heard the kid when the door to his cabin slammed open again.

"What's this about a stowaway on my ship?"

It was Englehorn, who was followed closely by an ill-tempered Mickey. As was expected, the _Venture_'s captain looked furious. He froze in the doorway when he saw Hayes sitting before the small, battered boy. Hayes wondered if Mickey had told him their stowaway was no more than a child. Then he wondered if that would even make a difference.

"Captain," Hayes said, standing as the captain entered the room. "There was a stowaway problem, but we've dealt with it accordingly."

Englehorn seemed to only just then notice Lumpy and Choy in the corner. He looked to the boy again, his face returning to his usual, expressionless self. "May I see all of you outside? _Now_."

He turned and left the room, followed by Mickey and a bewildered looking Lumpy and Choy. Hayes lagged behind, quietly telling the kid to stay where he was until he came back. He left his cabin and closed the door behind him.

"Dealt with it, Hayes?" Englehorn said as Hayes approached their group. "How exactly have you _dealt_ with our stowaway problem?"

"He's just a scared kid, captain," Hayes said, for some reason feeling like he should stick up for the boy. "He doesn't mean anybody no harm."

"I've heard otherwise, Mr. Hayes. He has caused quite a disturbance below deck."

Hayes glared at Mickey. "We just surprised him, that's all."

"And what happened in your cabin? It looks like doomsday in there."

At this Lumpy cleared his throat. "That'd be our fault, capt'n. Choy and me were trying to help the kid out, but we just…_surprised_ 'im, is all."

Englehorn sighed. "That doesn't change the fact that he doesn't belong on this ship. Did you at least find out who he is, or where he came from?"

Hayes glanced at Lumpy and Choy, who remained silent. They could probably remember just as vividly as he could how terrified the boy was when he said he didn't want to go back to New York.

"No," the first mate said firmly. "He hasn't said anything yet."

"Must've come from the city, right captain?" Mickey spoke up. "We could just take him back, dump him off somewhere…"

"No," Englehorn snapped. "We're behind schedule already. We can't go back and loose any more time."

"We could just throw him overboard," Mickey muttered.

Englehorn glared at him. "We're not throwing anybody overboard."

Hayes smiled at the captain telling Mickey off. "I agree, captain. I could keep an eye on the boy until we find out where he came from."

"So be it, Hayes," Englehorn said. "But he's your responsibility. He uses your supplies, your rations, your everything. We barely have enough for the rest of the men, let alone a run away little boy." As an afterthought he added, "and try to make him useful, if you can, until we dock. Then we'll discuss this again."

"Aye, captain. Thank you, captain."

Englehorn nodded and turned away, still revealing nothing on his impassive face. Hayes knew the captain was a good man, even if it sometimes didn't seem like he was.

"Choy," Hayes snapped.

The Asian immediately came to attention in front of him. "Yes, Skipper?"

"Go get the medical supplies. I think the boy's arm might be broken." He sent a hard look in Mickey's direction.

"Hey, I didn't break the little bastard's arm…"

"No but you probably made it worse," Hayes snapped. "Go down and deal with the cargo."

Mickey growled through his teeth. "But that's Choy's job…"

"Choy's helping me, so now it's your job."

Lumpy snickered. "That's right, off you go, feed the pests, clean the shit."

Mickey looked furious, but after a moment he turned to his duties, knowing better than to disobey a higher officer's direct orders.

"Never did like that fella," Lumpy said.

Hayes was thinking the same thing, though he would never say so out loud. If there was one person the _Venture_ crew could do without, it was Mickey. But now another issue came to Hayes' mind—would the _USS Venture_ be able to add another to their limited numbers? And a scared young boy? Englehorn was right. Times were hard, and the existing crew was having enough trouble supporting themselves. And now the boy would be bunking with Hayes, following Hayes around, eating Hayes' food…

It suddenly dawned on him that this might end up being a harder endeavor than he had originally thought.

* * *

_I know King Kong isn't the most popular thing to write about anymore so it is nice to see that people are reading :) Thanks for all the positive reviews and thanks for waiting so patiently. I should be able to post a chapter every few days or so--hopefully I'll never have to leave you guys hanging again._

_Oh and if you happen to be familiar with the Batman and all things Joker, go vote on my first ever poll :)_


	3. Chloroform

**Chapter III: Chloroform**

The second Hayes opened the door to his cabin, the boy jumped up out of the chair that Hayes had once occupied and resumed his spot backed into the corner of the room.

"You sure are a jumpy one, aren't you James?"

The boy gave him a funny look when Hayes said his name.

"What? I thought you said James was your name. Or do you go by a nickname? Jim, Jimmy, Jimbo…"

The boy cleared his throat. "Most call me Jimmy," he said in a quiet voice.

"Do they?" Hayes grinned. The kid was talking, that was a good sign. "Who calls you Jimmy, Jimmy?"

At this the boy averted his gaze and shrugged.

"Your family call you that?"

Jimmy snapped to attention again, and Hayes was surprised to see the boy's expression had gone from one of nervous tension to a livid glare. "I ain't got a family."

Hayes wanted to press the issue, he really did, but he decided now was not the time. Not while Jimmy was leaning heavily against the cabin's wall with his right arm clutched awkwardly to his chest and his skin as pale as it was. He needed medical attention that much was clear.

"Sit down, Jimmy," Hayes said as he reached for the water and towel that he had left before. When he looked up again, the boy was still in his corner, watching Hayes intently. Hayes turned the cot upright and straightened some of the sheets. "Come on, kid. Sit down."

Jimmy swallowed hard and did as he was told, his stare never leaving Hayes' face as he settled onto the cot. Hayes pulled up his chair and sat down to face the boy. The two did nothing but stare for a long time as they scrutinized each other's features. Finally Hayes spoke up, albeit softly, so the boy could just hear him.

"Who hurt you, Jimmy?"

The boy's gaze faltered under Hayes' unusually concerned face.

Hayes could easily admit that not a lot affected him anymore. He'd become hard during his days in the army, as most did during the World War. But seeing this boy, Jimmy, as scared and as hurt as he was really got to Hayes. That, and the fact that he could practically see the grip of a very large hand imprinted in the bruises around the boy's neck. Hayes knew there were a lot of bad people out there, but there was no one worse than someone that hurt children.

"Who said somebody hurt me?" Jimmy asked meekly, though his eyes looked as wild as ever.

Hayes raised an eyebrow. "You don't get these kinds of bruises on accident, Jimmy."

"Sure I do," the boy responded.

It was clear Hayes wasn't going to get an answer—at least not yet. "Fine, kid. I believe you."

With that he dropped the subject and wetted a cloth. When he brought the material to Jimmy's cheek, the boy pulled away.

"What are you doing?" he said breathlessly.

Hayes frowned. "Cleaning all this blood off your face." When Jimmy still looked apprehensive, Hayes said, "don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I knew that," Jimmy muttered defensively.

Hayes actually grinned. This was more how he'd expected the kid to act. Not so quiet and scared like he was before. More like...like a kid.

Hayes wiped the blood off of Jimmy's lip and chin, wondering how much of it was his and how much of it was from Mickey's hand. He wiped some of the grime off of the boy's cheek as gently as he could, though Jimmy still winced when Hayes probed too closely to the bruise around his eye and the welt growing on the side of his head.

"You've got a hard head, kiddo, cause Mick sure as hell ain't a weak guy."

Jimmy blinked. "Uh, thanks, I guess…"

"Oy, Hayes!"

Hayes turned to see Lumpy and Choy standing in his doorway, now armed with an arsenal of medical supplies. He dropped what he was doing and beckoned them forward. "I was wondering what was taking you fellas so long."

"Couldn't find half the stuff," Lumpy growled as he and Choy came to stand next to Hayes' chair. "Haven't had a medical emergency in a while. It's all very exciting."

Jimmy's bewildered eyes darted from Hayes to Lumpy and Choy.

Lumpy raised an eyebrow. "You ain't gonna threaten us with ceramic heads anymore, are ya kid?"

Jimmy shook his head but didn't say anything. He looked nervous again now that there were more people in the room.

"Let's fix up that arm, Jimmy," Hayes said gently.

Jimmy's eyes darted back to Hayes. "A-arm? Naw…it…it's f-fine."

"Don't you worry, kiddo," Lumpy said as reassuringly as he could. "Choy here could repair that broken arm of yers in a jiffy. He's our resident Witch Doctor, he is."

"'Witch Doctor'?" Choy repeated through his heavy accent.

"Ah, ya Orientals have all that voodoo medical stuff. Yer the closest thing to a real doctor we got."

Choy shrugged. "Guess so."

"Come on, Jimmy," Hayes said as gently as he could. "We're just trying to help you."

As easily as Jimmy could shrug off his bruises and broken arm, it was obvious he was in pain. He needed help, and Hayes was going to give it to him whether he wanted it or not.

"Fine," Jimmy sighed. He started to casually take off his jacket but ended up hissing in pain at even the slightest movement. When Hayes tried to help him, Jimmy immediately shrank away. "Just don't…" he gasped. "I…I got it…"

Hayes ignored him and helped anyway, being as careful as he could, though Jimmy still bit hard on his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Hayes set the tattered, oversized jacket to the side and carefully looked the boy over.

Jimmy seemed even frailer now without the protection of his baggy jacket. A flimsy shirt, torn at the collar as though it had been roughly grabbed too many times, hung loosely over Jimmy's shoulders and offered barely any coverage for his pale, thin arms. Hayes' blood boiled when he looked at Jimmy's right arm, now clutched once again to the boy's chest. The limb looked like the boy's neck, only a hundred times worse. He knew Mickey hadn't grabbed the kid that hard, but there were clear fisted hand marks bruised into the skin of Jimmy's forearm.

"You gonna tell me that was by accident, too?"

Jimmy's face flushed and he avoided Hayes' or anyone else's eye. He didn't need to say anything for Hayes to get his answer.

"Ahem, yes, well," Lumpy said after clearing his throat to disband the awkward tension that had fallen over the room. He knew even less about kids than Hayes, and his best solution was to ignore the whole thing. Leave the past in the past and only fret about the present—that was Lumpy's philosophy. "Let's fix up that arm of yers."

Jimmy didn't move, except to look up at Hayes with a very lost expression. Hayes nodded, as though to silently reassure the boy. Jimmy swallowed hard and somewhat reluctantly lowered his arm from his chest.

"Hmm," Lumpy growled as he gently put his hands around the boy's forearm. He moved as carefully as he could, but Jimmy still flinched and hissed in pain. "I'm seein' two bones, two breaks. Choy?"

Choy felt the injury, just like Lumpy had, his slender hands turning the boy's arm gently in his grasp. "Aye," Choy said as he pulled his hands away. "Harsh break, like this," he said as he gestured with his fists as though he was ringing something, twisting his hands around to demonstrate the motion that had caused the broken arm.

"Can you fix it?" Hayes said, sounding a little desperate. The injury sounded worse than he'd thought.

"Not easy to fix," Choy said grimly.

Jimmy blanched considerably. "It-it's okay," he stuttered, panic evident in his voice. The last thing he wanted was anymore pain. "It only hurts when…when I move it…s-so—"

"You don't have to be scared, Jimmy," Hayes said.

"I-I'm not…"

"Everything's gonna be fine. Here," Hayes said as he leaned down to the crate of supplies Lumpy had Choy had brought. His hand clasped itself around a familiar feeling bottle and he carefully undid the top, making sure to keep the substance at an arm's length. "Just smell this. You won't feel a thing."

He held the bottle out in front of Jimmy's face, but the boy wrinkled his nose at it. "Why? What is it?" He stared at the label and tried to read the unfamiliar word. "Ch-ch…loro…o…"

"Just smell it, Jimmy. Trust me—it'll be a lot better if you do."

Jimmy stared at him for a second, still unsure what was going to happen. But the boy trusted Hayes, the man that had helped him and had promised not to hurt him. "O-okay…"

He took a hesitant sniff and made a funny face. In a second, he'd breathed enough of the substance in. His eyes rolled back in his head and he tipped forward. Hayes caught him gently around the waist and hefted the boy further up on the cot so he was lying flat on his back.

"Good thinking, Skipper," Choy said. He and Lumpy had seen what Hayes was doing, and were careful to hold their breath when the bottle of chloroform was opened.

"How long will he be out?" Hayes said, knowing how dangerous the chemical could be if too much was inhaled by humans.

"Should be fine," Lumpy answered. "If he wakes up, we'll just give 'im another swig."

"What do you need me to do?" Hayes said feeling lost when it came to medical situations.

"Just hold him down an' say somethin' if he wakes up."

* * *

_Thanks for reading guys :)_


	4. Mother

**Chapter IV: Mother**

"Jimmy, darling. It's time to wake up."

He opened his eyes to dazzling sunlight and a smiling face.

"Good morning, sunshine," she said sweetly.

Jimmy grinned up at her and spent a minute just staring at her pale face, bright blue eyes, and golden flowing hair. The sunlight shining through the window behind her made her look like she was glowing and Jimmy knew that if there were really such things as angels, they would look like her.

"Morning, mommy."

The boy pushed himself up off the floor and into his mother's loving arms. He completely ignored the starchy feeling of her pale, worn dress, the stench of the room they were in, and its grimy four walls and sparse floor. They were material things. Unimportant things. All he ever needed in his life was her, and her beautiful face.

They'd lived in that single room apartment for a while, just mother and son. At least they weren't on the streets anymore. How his mother came across this particular place was a mystery to the boy, and he'd learned to ignore the smells of death and decay as well as the callings of the landlord or any sort of authority figure. His mother had taught him that.

At six he wasn't old enough to understand much about what went on his life. He knew his mother was poor and that their life was far from luxurious. He attributed this to the fact that she was so much younger looking than any other mother he'd ever seen and that he had no father that he knew of. He'd asked her about his father a number of times and was told stories about what a brave, caring man he was, but was never told where he was or why he wasn't with his family. It didn't really matter to Jimmy—as long as he had his mother, he was content.

"Come on, sweetie," his mother said as she tucked her hair into a cap that hid her face in shadow. "Time to go to work." She threw a shawl over her shoulders and left the apartment through the window with Jimmy holding tightly to her hand.

* * *

Hey mister," young Jimmy called as he tugged on an older man's coat tails. "Mister, mister! Wanna see something neat for a dollar?"

The older man turned his wrinkled face to the young boy in front of him. He grinned down at the sweet looking street urchin. "Sure, sonny."

Jimmy smiled and immediately started a little tap dancing jig that his mother had taught him. Though he was a small boy, his feet moved fluidly as he danced and clapped his hands. The man chuckled, obviously impressed. Before long, a dozen people had made a tight crowd around the boy, clapping and cheering him on while he danced. None of them noticed as a dark figure moved systematically through their pockets as they tossed their change to the boy's feet.

When the boy finished his dance, he bowed deeply and sweetly thanked everyone that had tossed money his way. He scooped up the coins and few bills and dashed down the street, leaving the group of smiling adults oblivious to how empty their pockets and purses now were.

He turned down one alleyway in particular that was especially secluded and hidden in shadow. His mother always picked the darkest, emptiest meeting places—places that would have scared Jimmy if she ever wasn't there to meet him.

"Jimmy," she said with a wide smile as she embraced her son. "That was wonderful! You danced beautifully."

He beamed proudly and held out a fist full of bills. "I got four dollars and seven cents!"

She kissed his cheek. "Good job, Jimmy! And look," she said as she emptied her own pockets. "Another thirty two dollars!"

The boy screwed his face up in thought. "We have…thirty six dollars and seven cents!"

His mother's smile grew even wider as she hugged him tightly. "That's right, sweetheart! I am so proud of you!" She lifted him up off the ground and spun around while he shrieked for joy. She set him back on his feet and squeezed his hand tightly in her own. "Now let's go get some lunch."

They skipped hand in hand down the dingy city streets, Jimmy beaming over his mother's compliments. She taught him everything he knew. She may not have been the best off, but at one point his mother must have been to school. He didn't need school—she was the smartest lady in the world. She taught him how to add and subtract, and was reading to him every night so much so that he could practically read and write by himself already.

And although Jimmy did know that stealing and conning people was wrong, his mother had taught him that as long as they only took what they needed to survive, then God would forgive them in the end.

* * *

They'd lived like this for as long as Jimmy could remember—sometimes they'd be in the streets, or hiding out in abandoned apartments, spending their days together while at night Jimmy's mother would disappear and not return again until the morning. Some days she would return with a decent sum of money, but somehow she always looked sad and almost worn out after her night's work. Jimmy was sure whatever she did at night was what made her sick.

He was ten years old when she fell ill. She'd spent months coughing, but always managed to keep a smile on her face for her son's sake. But eventually it got worse to the point where she could barely get up in the morning because of her fever. Jimmy would get money and food for himself when she told him to, though most of the time she just slept with her son in her arms.

One rainy morning, Jimmy awoke, but she didn't.

"Mom?" he'd said as he tried to shake her awake, but she did not respond. "Come on, mommy," he whimpered. "It's time to get up…"

But she didn't wake up. She was as pale and stiff as a marble statue, looking very much like she was sleeping, though her skin was icy cold. Jimmy just sniffled and curled up against her, knowing from experience that the best way to keep warm was to be close to someone. He figured she was just sick and needed him to keep her warm. Then she would wake up.

The days passed slowly, and Jimmy never left his mother's arms, even as he was starting to feel just as cold and sick as she looked. He would later find that he'd been in that house with his decaying mother for almost three days. Had he been there much longer and not taking care of himself like he was he would have died too.

But someone in the apartment building must have eventually started to smell something and called the police. Needless to say they were shocked at what they saw. Jimmy was taken to a doctor and his mother was taken away in a bag, though where or if she was even buried was a mystery to Jimmy. No one ever told him anything about her.

He was sick for a while after that, physically and emotionally. He had ended up in some kind of orphanage where the people barely acknowledged his existence. This was the Jazz age, after all. The so called "Roaring Twenties." Every day was a party. No one wanted to pay attention to a grieving boy. No one besides his mother had ever cared about him, and he feared no one ever would again.

* * *

Hayes sat in the dark with his head lolling back against the wall. He'd been sitting there all day, ever since Lumpy and Choy fixed Jimmy's arm. The boy was still asleep in Hayes' bed, with the first mate keeping a watchful eye on him from the other side of the room. But it was getting very late and the boy still hadn't woken up. Hayes was about to give in to his own exhaustion and fall asleep where he was sitting when he heard a soft rustling of sheets.

He sat up straight and had to resist the urge to rush over to the boy, who was now weakly shifting on the cot. Hayes had assumed Jimmy was waking up, but Jimmy turned to his left side with a whimper as he cradled his splinted right arm to his chest.

As quietly as possible, Hayes arose from his seat and was about to talk to the boy and maybe get him something for the pain in his arm when he saw that Jimmy was shaking again. All Hayes could see was the boy's back, but soon he could hear the choking, gasping breaths and quivering sobs. The first mate froze as the emotion of the situation turned his blood cold. The boy was crying and Hayes had no idea what he could possibly do to help him.

He cleared his throat and shifted nervously from one foot to the other, but Jimmy was oblivious to his presence. After a full minute of doing nothing Hayes finally forced himself to go over to the edge of the bed and sit down. He hesitantly reached a hand out to pat the boy's back.

"Hey," he said as soothingly as he could, thought it sounded more like a growl than anything else. "It's alright, Jimmy…"

Jimmy's left hand was over his face as he tried to stifle his sobs. Hayes' attempt at comforting the boy only seemed to make it worse as Jimmy cried even harder as he curled further in on himself. It broke Hayes' heart to see the boy so distraught, but all he could do was rub gentle circles against Jimmy's back and listen to the desperate sobbing.

"It'll be okay, Jimmy," he whispered gently. "You'll be okay..."

* * *

_Chloroform induced flashback for you guys :) _


	5. Stars

**Chapter V: Stars**

"You see that one?" Hayes asked as he pointed up into the night sky.

The boy squinted in the direction the first mate was pointing. "Which one?"

"The biggest one in the sky—it's the bright blue one. See it?"

Jimmy spotted it immediately. "Yeah, I see it," he said excitedly. "What is it?"

"That's Polaris."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that it's the North Star," Hayes explained. "No matter where you are in the world that star always indicates north. Even if you're lost at sea—so long as you can see the stars you can always figure out which direction you need to go."

"Wow," Jimmy said in awe. He stared intently up at the sky, then turned his gaze to the front of the ship. "So we're going…kinda east."

"That's right," Hayes said with a grin. "You're a real bright kid, Jimmy."

The boy blushed as Hayes saw a proud smile grow on his features. It was the first smile Hayes had seen since they'd found the boy almost two days ago. The night before, when Jimmy awoke after his chloroform induced sleep in tears, Hayes had comforted Jimmy until he had cried himself to sleep again.

When he had awoken in the morning with the rest of the bustling ship, Hayes had tried to probe the boy into telling him more about his past and how'd he'd ended up on the _Venture_. But Jimmy never said a word, nor did he even move from Hayes' bed for the rest of the day. He just sat there with the blanket pulled over his shoulders and a haunted look in his eyes as he stared blankly into space. Hayes brought him lunch but the boy ate very little, despite how hungry he must have been.

Questioning Jimmy had gotten him nowhere, so just after sun down Hayes approached the boy and told him to follow him on deck. He said it in the commanding tone he had learned from spending time in the army—a no nonsense tone that wasn't open for debate. Jimmy left the cabin with Hayes out of a mixture of curiosity and fear.

Hayes led him to the upper deck of the freight ship, off on the port bow. There he took a seat on the ground and gestured for Jimmy to do the same. The boy looked nervous for a moment, as though he had initially feared Hayes would throw him overboard or do something equally sinister. He tightened his grasp around the blanket that was still draped over his thin shoulders and sank down on to the deck.

From there, Hayes had looked up into the sky and started talking casually about the various stars and consolations he could recognize. It didn't take long for Jimmy's eyes to widen in fascination as he looked up into the sky. They'd been sitting for over an hour now, but Jimmy showed no signs of wanting to go back inside.

"What's that…constellation?" Jimmy asked as he traced one particular shape with his finger.

"That's Orion," Hayes answered the inquisitive boy. "You can see his body there and the three in the middle are Orion's belt."

"Who's Orion?"

"Hmm…I'm not really sure. He was probably an ancient Grecian of sorts. They were very famous philosophers and warriors, after all."

"Oh," Jimmy said softly, and Hayes wondered if he really did understand who the ancient Grecians were. The kid was bright, Hayes had figured that out quickly. He must have had some schooling at one point.

"Do all of them have names?"

Hayes blinked at the question. "You know, I'm not sure, Jimmy," he said honestly.

"There are so many," the boy said as he looked up at the sky in awe. "I've never even seen this many stars."

"Well in the city you can't see as many because of the artificial lighting. Blocks out the sky."

"Oh," Jimmy mumbled again.

They were silent again for a moment before Hayes asked, "where did you live in the city, Jimmy?"

The boy must have realized that Hayes was subtly trying to get him to explain where he was from. He glared at the man and started to scoot away from him. "_You_ said I don't gotta go back."

Hayes put up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. Just calm down. No one's taking you back. We're not even going in the right direction."

Jimmy sighed and relaxed again, leaning his chin on his hand as he pointedly avoided making eye contact with the first mate. "Cause we're going east. Europe is east."

"That's right," Hayes said in awe. "I didn't know half as much as you do when I was your age. Who taught you all that?"

Jimmy shrugged.

"You must've learned somewhere. Did you go to school in the city?"

The boy glared at him again. "Why do you keep asking all these dumb questions? If you're trying to trick me, it ain't gonna work."

"No one's trying to trick you, Jimmy," Hayes said gently.

"Yeah right," Jimmy muttered as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his good arm around his legs in a protective matter.

"I just want to know more about you, is all. You didn't magically appear in our cargo hold. You must've come from somewhere."

Jimmy didn't respond. He just kept himself in a tight hug and stared out over the dark sea while he shivered.

"Or you came from nowhere, that's fine. I just don't think you want to stay on this ship for the rest of your life."

Jimmy still didn't say anything.

"It's not easy, Jimmy. If you're going to stay on the _Venture_ you're going to have to pull your own weight."

Jimmy sat up. "I can do it Mr. Hayes. I promise. Just don't make me go back. _Please _don't make me go back…"

The kid looked so desperate. It was clear to Hayes that whatever sort of life Jimmy came from, it was not a pleasant one. And Hayes would never send him back there. Jimmy didn't need to say a word—the bruises on his body said enough.

"Alright," Hayes said finally. "But I'm supposed to take care of you as first mate of this ship, so don't embarrass me or nothing in front of the captain."

Jimmy brightened considerably. "I won't."

"I'll show you around tomorrow and tell you what goes on at sea, as long as you're up to it."

"I am! I can do it, really," Jimmy exclaimed. "Whatever you say, Mr. Hayes!"

Hayes smiled at the boy, then got up off the floor and held his hand out. "Let's hit the hay then. Big day tomorrow and you'll need all the rest you can get."

Jimmy smiled back and put his left hand in Hayes' outstretched one. Hayes hefted the boy up and led him back to his cabin where he helped Jimmy up onto the cot before settling into his chair again for the night. Jimmy stared at him for a moment with a puzzled look.

"What?" Hayes said, pausing as he reached over to shut off his lamp.

"Are you gonna sleep like that?"

"Like what?"

"On the chair."

"I did last night."

Jimmy looked nervously at the floor. "Sorry," he muttered. "You can have your bed back…"

"It's okay Jimmy," Hayes said with a chuckle before the boy could leave the bed. "Just go to sleep."

"But—"

"Go to sleep."

"Okay."

Hayes flicked off the light and watched the boy in the dark as he curled up on his left side and relaxed. Hayes watched for a while, even after he could hear the Jimmy's steady breathing while he slept. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day for both of them.

* * *

_Again, thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing :) I'm really glad you guys liked that last chapter, too. I was a little...apprehensive about that one and how it would come across. But hey--five chapters down, five to go--so far so good._


	6. Voyage

**Chapter VI: Voyage**

Jimmy bolted out of the mess hall and made it to the railing of the ship just as his stomach heaved its few contents into the ocean. Hayes followed him out with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"I told you, Jimmy," he said as he clapped the still retching boy on the back. "Never ask Lumpy what he puts in his stew. You're better off not knowing."

Jimmy nodded weakly as he spat the bitter taste out of his mouth.

"Ready to try for breakfast again?"

Jimmy's face turned a shade of grin and he frantically shook his head.

"That's fine," Hayes said. He laid a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder and steered him away from the rail of the ship. "My appetite's long gone, too. We can head below deck—you're stomach'll settle better down there. But first I've got a job for you. It'll be your first real duty as an official _Venture _crew member."

Despite Hayes' cheerful tone, Jimmy was apprehensive. He didn't know what he could possibly have to do on his first day, what with a broken right arm and a sudden bout of sea sickness.

"Don't worry, Jimmy," Hayes said, sensing the boy's uncertainty. "It's an easy job, I promise."

He led Jimmy back through the door that they'd just run out of. Jimmy's cheeks flushed for a second when the few sailors still in the room turned their gaze to him. But no one laughed or mocked him for being sick. In fact, after a second or two they turned back to their less than appetizing meals and casual chatter.

Hayes was headed back to the kitchen where Lumpy was stirring at something sticky in his huge pewter pot. Jimmy lagged behind, feeling very conscious of the fact that Lumpy was staring him down with that hard, almost crazed look of his. Jimmy swallowed hard, hoping the other man hadn't taken too much offense to Jimmy's reaction to his cooking.

"Come back fer more, have ye?"

"'Fraid not," Mr. Hayes answered. "Jimmy here's helping us out from now on."

"Aye," Lumpy said as he leaned down so he was eye to eye with Jimmy. Lumpy stared at the boy for a long moment with a crazed scrutiny, while Jimmy stared back, looking like he was ready to bolt from the room.

"Ah, yer a good lad," Lumpy said suddenly. He reached beneath his counter and passed the boy a bucket of food scraps. "It's fer them buggers downstairs. Ya just gotta divide it up an' give 'em enough so they don't keel over on us. An' don't eat it yerself this time. You ain't a stowaway anymore."

Jimmy's face flushed with embarrassment.

"But don' you worry yer little blonde head," Lumpy said with an awkward wink and the friendliest grin he could muster beneath his mustache. "I got plenty o' stew fer ya. You'll get used to it, just like everyone else has. 'Cause I'm the only one 'round here with the balls to cook fer all you bastards!" He waved his spoon around the room, indicating those that were eating with forced, contented smiles on their faces.

Hayes ushered a bewildered Jimmy from the room, explaining that Lumpy was harmless, just a little…out of his mind at times.

"And this is the cargo hold," Hayes said as the descended below deck. "But you already knew that, I'm sure."

The boy cheeks turned pink again.

"Here's what you do," Hayes continued, indicating the various food bowls kept next to the cages. "Right now we've only got cats and chimps. You give the cats the meat and the chimps the fruit. Think you can handle that?"

Jimmy nodded and started to work.

"You've just gotta be careful, Jimmy. We've had some break outs in the past."

"Break outs?"

Hayes nodded. "Five in the past couple of years. Them apes aren't as dumb as they look."

"How? Where'd they go?"

"I'm not sure, Jimmy," Hayes said honestly. "They must've figured out the locks somehow and gotten off the ship while we were docked."

But when Jimmy still looked unconvinced, Hayes cleared his throat and continued.

"Well, you see Jimmy…being at sea for long periods of time can get to a man. So when we dock at a major port, everyone on the ship takes a little time off to relax with a drink and maybe…spend some time with a woman. Do you know what I mean?"

Jimmy raised an eyebrow at him. "I think so…"

"The point is we can't always keep an eye on the cargo and like I said…the apes aren't as dumb as they look."

"I could do it, Mr. Hayes."

"Do what?"

"Stay here when everybody goes drinkin' and stuff."

"I dunno, Jimmy," Hayes said as he looked over the small boy. If anything, the animals would tear the kid apart if they got loose, but Hayes came up with a better excuse. "You don't really want to stay down here by yourself. Smells bad, you know."

They left the cargo bay after that and despite Hayes' warnings of the reek below deck, Jimmy still ventured down there that night, even after an exhausting day of Hayes showing him the ins and outs of the steam ship.

The first mate had procured himself another cot and set it up on the other side of his cabin so both he and Jimmy could have a comfortable place to sleep. Hayes was a light sleeper due to his experiences in the army, but even he didn't hear the boy get up and sneak out of the cabin in 

the middle of the night. The next morning Hayes woke up bright and early like he always did, only he was in a panic because Jimmy had disappeared.

Thankfully he didn't have to look long for the boy. Hayes found him in the cargo hold, curled up with Hayes' blanket in the same cage he'd been when they first found him just days before. Jimmy was sleeping, though his expression was tense and there was a glint of cold sweat on his brow. Hayes figured he must have had another nightmare and wandered down here for some reason. Hayes shook his head. He couldn't help but worry about the kid.

"Come on Jimmy," he'd said as he gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Time for breakfast."

* * *

That night—Jimmy's second as an official crew member—Hayes and Jimmy stood at the deck staring out over the ocean as the sun just started to set. It had been an exhausting day for everyone on board, as a brief but dangerous storm had rolled in, stirring up the seas and rocking the _Venture _uncomfortably. The crew worked admirably, even with young Jimmy's help, and had more than deserved the night to relax.

Jimmy's ears perked up when he suddenly heard music coming from somewhere on the other end of the deck. He looked at Hayes who didn't acknowledge the sound if he even heard it all.

"Mr. Hayes, what's that song comin' from?"

"Hmm," Hayes said as he took a second to listen. "Crew's entertaining themselves, I suppose. They pull things like this every once in a while. Me and the captain don't get too involved. As a first mate and all, I've got important duties to attend to…"

When he turned to finally look at the boy, he was surprised to see Jimmy already wandering half way across the deck in search of the music's source. Hayes smiled and followed the boy, even as Jimmy's pace quickened as the sounds of singing and laughing could now be heard as well.

They came to small circle consisting of maybe a dozen crew members, each taking their turns to dance drunkenly in the middle of the circle while Choy played his guitar and sang. Hayes watched with amusement not the foolish sailors but Jimmy. The boy was staring intently from Choy to the current dancer while his own feet tapped in place to the music.

"You like this, Jimmy?"

The boy nodded while he kept his eyes glued to the strange instrument Choy was playing.

"Well get in there then," Hayes said. "Show us what you've got."

Jimmy looked horrified. "What? No I—"

But whatever Jimmy's excuse was going to be was silenced when Hayes gave him a light nudge in the back to force the boy into the middle of the crowd. Jimmy stood there, frozen while a bright red blush grew on his cheeks. One of the men saw him there and let out a drunken cheer:

"Hey, it's that kid," he yelled. "Oy, it's Jimmy!"

Jimmy looked to Hayes with a lost expression on his face, but Hayes nodded his encouragement. As Choy continued to sing, Jimmy slowly eased into a little tap dancing number that got steadily more complicated as the crowd cheered him on. The boy had impressive dance skills, even with his right arm confined to a sling. The crew absolutely loved the performance, especially while they were in their drunken stupor.

When the song was over Jimmy bowed deeply to a whooping ovation. Lumpy forced his way through the crowed so he could haul the boy up on his shoulders with a cheer while people threw their hats and applauded. And Hayes noticed that Jimmy was smiling…for the first time the boy looked genuinely happy.

"That was great, Jimmy," Hayes said, ruffling the boy's hair when he'd been set back on his feet. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Just somethin' I picked up, I guess."

Hayes saw a hint of sadness in the boy's eyes and decided not to press the matter. "That's real good, Jimmy."

Not long after that, Jimmy went to sleep, exhausted from the day's events. The next morning, however, Hayes found him again in the cargo hold, huddled in one of the back cages. He wasn't asleep though—just staring miserably into space. But he still wouldn't say anything regarding his past, even when Hayes found him as distraught as he was. Hayes had learned after a while not to even press the matter. It was clear Jimmy wasn't going to talk, at least not until he was really ready.

* * *

One week after the _Venture_ had set out from New York City, the coastline of the British isle came into view beneath dark clouds and streaks of rain. The crew member from the crow's nest called out over the wind that land was in sight and everyone on board got to work to prepare the ship for docking. Hayes was running around, barking orders while Jimmy followed him around like a tiny shadow with his head ducked low because of the rain.

"You ever been to Britain before, Jimmy?"

The boy looked out to the distant shore and shook his head.

"This is an exciting adventure for you then," Hayes said with a smile.

Hayes turned to yell something to one of the crew members when he felt the boy tugging on the back of his shirt.

"Mr. Hayes?"

"Yes, Jimmy?"

"I wanna stay on the ship," he said as he stared up at the first mate.

"Jimmy, you can't stay on the _Venture_ forever. You need to stretch your legs, see new places, meet new people…" Hayes sighed when he looked down at the lost and still scared looking little boy. "I promise we won't leave you on shore."

"Oh, I know that, Mr. Hayes," the boy muttered. "I just would rather stay here, is all."

"Whatever you want, Jimmy," Hayes said with a gent pat on the boy's shoulder. "I'll be staying on board, too. I suppose it's my duty now as a first mate to keep an eye on the ship. Besides…we'll only be here for a couple of days, then we'll be headed south to pick up some more cargo, if you get my drift."

Jimmy nodded and looked out over the ship again at the oncoming land. He swallowed hard. If there was one place he'd never like to be again, it was on solid ground, regardless of what country they were in. The _USS Venture_ was the first place he'd felt truly safe in, so there was absolutely nothing that could get him to leave. Nothing at all.

* * *

_Just some filler ship stuff in this chapter. I know I've been posting like every other day, but...since you guys have been so awesome I'll post daily for the last few chapters. So look forward to Chapter 7 tomorrow :)_


	7. Betrayal

**Chapter VII: Betrayal**

Most of the sailors abandoned ship as soon as they were docked at Penzance, a port located conveniently on the South Western end of the British Island. The _USS Venture_'s crew was more than eager to stand on land again and they whooped and cheered as they went off for the night to drink and have themselves a good time with what little money they had. Even Englehorn left the ship, though he was going to conduct shady business with various zoo keepers and wildlife preservers.

Only Mr. Hayes and Jimmy were left on the ship, though Jimmy didn't seem to be up to any sort of conversation. Something was bothering the boy, Hayes could see that much. But he'd already decided to not pester Jimmy anymore, figuring when and if he was ready to talk Hayes would be there to listen.

They checked over the ship and fed the cargo and made sure the cages were locked before heading back to Hayes' cabin. There Jimmy collapsed onto his cot without a word and buried himself under his sheets. Hayes stayed up for another hour or so, reading while he watched Jimmy sleep before he finally gave in to his own exhaustion.

* * *

Jimmy tossed and turned on the cot, unable to get comfortable. He managed to doze off for a couple of hours at least, but his anxious mind wouldn't leave him in peace for long. He shoved the sheets off his body and slid silently off the bed. He pulled his shoes on and slipped out of the cabin with one last look at Hayes, who was snoring on his own bed with his cap pulled over his eyes.

Jimmy felt immensely guilty for leaving the room almost every night since he'd gotten here, but there was something about lying in a real bed that made him feel uneasy and even a bit vulnerable. He much preferred the safety of the dark corner down in the cargo hold where he'd spent his first two nights on the ship before anyone had found him. He curled up in the blanket he'd taken from Hayes' room and finally drifted off to sleep.

He was awoken not long after that by the sound of footsteps and hushed voices. At first Jimmy had assumed it was Hayes coming to bring him back up on deck. But as the voices came closer he realized there were two of them—one he couldn't recognize had a very heavy British accent while the other sounded like one of the _Venture_'s sailors. It sounded like that Mickey guy, the one that Hayes had warned Jimmy to steer clear of.

"Smoke?" the British man asked.

"Yeah sure," Mickey responded.

"The rest of you Yanks're gone, right?"

"I told you before, Harris," Mickey snapped. "Everyone's off getting drunk and laid. We're definitely alone."

Curiosity got the best of Jimmy as he eavesdropped on their conversation. He scooted to the end of the cage he was in and peered around the corner just enough to see Mickey's tall form and the shorter, unfamiliar man called Harris standing in the dark between the rows of cages each with lit cigarettes held between their teeth. It was quite obvious to Jimmy that these two were up to no good.

"So how ya doin', Mick? Been a while since I'd last seen you in jolly old England. Didn't think you were gonna be conductin' any business with us again..."

"And how the hell was I supposed to do that? I've been half way across the world, for Christ's sake. Besides…if I gave you a deal every time we came round here, I think the captain would suspect something fishy was goin' on."

Jimmy stayed where he was hidden in the shadows as he tried to memorize everything he was hearing. If Mickey was doing something bad, Mr. Hayes would definitely want to know about it.

"Straight to business, then? Right. My employer may have some interest in your ship's cargo…"

"Just get to the part where you pay me handsomely for my efforts," Mickey growled impatiently.

"Bloody hell, Mick," the Brit scoffed. "Maybe you should be out getting laid with the rest of your ship mates." A sly smile crossed Harris' face in the darkness. "I could pay you with girls, you know. Lots of pretty girls…"

"Don't even try to rip me off," Mickey spat. "I want the cash so I can pay for my own damn whores."

Jimmy cringed at that last word, a word he'd heard before. He kept listening and hated Mickey more and more with every word he said.

"Fine then. Here—take this and go where it says. Someone's waiting there to pick up the apes and to pay you." Harris held out a piece of paper.

Mickey smiled as he snatched the parchment out of the Brit's hands. "I knew I wasn't wasting my time talking to you."

"No problem, Mick. But if you're still interested in those lovely ladies…"

"There's no one on this God damned island that I would call 'pretty'. Not even your lousy queen."

Harris shrugged. "Every man's got different preferences I s'pose. Just stay away from the Frenchies—they'll rob ya blind while yer sleeping." He looked like he was going to leave when he turned back to Mickey again. "You comin'?"

"What are you, dense? I can't be seen anywhere near the ship with you. Englehorn would suspect something."

"Aye, that German bastard," Harris said with a shake of his head. "They're all a scary bunch, they are..."

With that he was gone, leaving Mickey to smoke in the dark alone. Or at least he thought he was alone.

Jimmy stayed in the shadows and watched while Mickey disappeared around the corner. Not long after that he heard a clanging of bottles and the jingling of keys. Mickey was going to use the chloroform to knock the monkeys out and then sell them secretly to someone so he could get all the money for himself. Jimmy gasped when he realized this and that every other animal escape Hayes had talked about hadn't been the apes' fault at all. It just was Mickey being greedy.

Jimmy snuck out of his cage and was headed up on deck to tell Mr. Hayes everything. But he froze as he came to the traitorous sailor's back. Would the first mate even believe him? Probably not. Jimmy knew he was just a kid, and kids generally weren't taken seriously. He needed proof…

In the darkness Jimmy could just make out the piece of paper Mickey had gotten sticking out of the back pocket of the man's baggy pants. If he could just get that paper Hayes would most definitely believe him. Jimmy took a deep breath and inched forward silently to where Mickey was fumbling with a cage door and the chloroform bottle he held in his hands. Jimmy stayed crouched close to the ground as he slowly reached his left hand out to the paper sticking out of Mickey's pocket.

It was difficult because Jimmy was right handed and his right arm was currently rendered useless in a sling. But Jimmy was a natural pick pocket, no matter what hand he was using, and in a second he'd slid the note out of Mickey's pants and clutched it to his chest. He was frozen for a moment, waiting to see if the man would react. He didn't as he puffed on his cigarette.

Jimmy backed away slowly and silently until he was around the corner and out of sight. His pounding heart finally slowed as he realized with relief he was going to get away. He'd gotten the evidence he needed and now all he had to do was take it to Mr. Hayes. Then everything would be okay. He'd have done something good for the _Venture_, and, in his mind at least, he'd be guaranteeing his place on the steam ship. Jimmy would never have to set foot in New York City ever again.

He had just made it to the stairway when he heard a creaking of the wood floors behind him. Jimmy froze at the sound and slowly turned, hoping that it was nothing more than the waves crashing against the ship's hull.

"I knew you'd give me trouble from the moment we found you down here," Mickey said calmly. He looked very ominous standing there in the shadows.

It was that composed way the sailor was acting that scared Jimmy more than anything else. He took one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it to the floor as he closed the gap between himself and the boy, blowing smoke as he did so. Jimmy noticed with dread he was still holding the chloroform bottle and cloth in his hands.

"Not only do you bite me and overall make this trip even more miserable for me than it already was, but now you go and steal from me and try to tattle on me..." His voice turned to a growl as his anger got the best of him. "I knew I should have thrown you overboard when I had the chance."

Jimmy took one last look in Mickey's crazy eyes before he turned and tried to bolt up the stairs. Mickey lashed out and managed to get a tight hold of the back of the sling on Jimmy's arm, but Jimmy was quick to squirm out of the material, even as pain shot through the broken limb. He leapt up the stairs, going two at a time, and was almost at the top when Mickey caught up to him again. This time the man got a hold of his hair and yanked back, hard.

There was no way Jimmy could squirm his way out of this. All he could do was cry out at the pain in his scalp, though even that was quickly stifled by the cloth Mickey had in his other hand. Jimmy breathed in the very familiar smelling substance and almost immediately felt everything go fuzzy. His mind was suddenly very sluggish and his legs shook beneath him. Jimmy could no longer fight the chemical's effects as his body went completely limp against Mickey's body and everything turned black as his eye lids fell heavily shut.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Mickey said smugly. "It'll go quicker for you this way. Everyone will think you ran away again. You've only been around for a week—it's not like anyone would care…"

* * *

_You guys were right to not like Mickey--he's one very bad bad guy :)_


	8. Past

**Chapter VIII: Past**

Jimmy's eyes snapped open as rough hands yanked him up by his shirt collar. He'd been expecting to see Mickey glaring down at him, but instead saw another man—a man who was smaller than Mickey with awful teeth and greasy black hair.

"Ah, Jimmy," the man said with his vice grip still on the boy's collar. "You're a hard lad to find."

Jimmy stared up at him with a confounded look on his face. Somehow he was ten again in the streets of Manhattan, not long after his mother had passed way.

"You remember me don't you? Name's Buck, and you know what I like to do," the man said with a smirk when Jimmy's face paled considerably. "Your mom worked for me. She was a whore with a debt to pay. And now that she's bitten the dust, I'm gonna need you to make it up to me."

Jimmy remembered all too well how Buck would appear from the shadows and accost his mother in the streets for money that she apparently owed him. Jimmy didn't know what a whore was, but he didn't like the way Buck was saying it about his mother.

He tried to break out of Buck's grip, only to have the man shove him hard against the alleyway wall and backhand him across the face. Jimmy stopped struggling then and held his hand to the now sore spot on his cheek. No one had ever treated him like this before, he realized with horror.

"Don't make me mad, James," Buck growled at the boy. "I could make your life easy, or I can make it a living hell, so don't test me."

Jimmy had already thought his life was a living hell, ever since his mother died six months ago. He had been taken to a place where other runaway and homeless children resided, but Jimmy couldn't identify with any of the other kids. He didn't want to talk to anyone. So he would sleep there in the crowded hall and leave during the day to wander the streets alone and try to live like he had with his mother. The people that ran the shelter didn't care enough to stop him. In fact they looked almost disappointed every night he came back looking for food and a bed to sleep in.

On this particular rainy day, he'd been walking aimlessly through the dingy city streets like he always did, wishing he still had his mother with him, when something grabbed him out of the shadows. His mother had warned him about all the bad people that could be out there in the city, especially people like Buck. But when the man grabbed him, all the struggling in the world couldn't save Jimmy from the vice grip he had on the boy's baggy jacket.

Buck pulled Jimmy along until he reached his destination—a run down, seedy looking cast iron building in lower SoHo. The interior looked just as bad as the exterior, and Jimmy was surprised to find that he and Buck were not the only one's inside. Women that were lingering on the stair case and in the halls above paused their smoking and drinking for a moment to stare indifferently at the boy. Some couldn't have been much older than Jimmy, but they were all ugly in his eyes because of the layers of makeup that was caked on their faces. Their clothing hung from their thin bodies, seemingly tight and loose in all the wrong places. Jimmy wrinkled his nose at them and the musky scent he suddenly noticed in the room.

"Girls," Buck yelled to them. "This is James. He's going to be doing some work around here for me."

Jimmy finally managed to shrug out of the man's grasp. He took a step back and glared up at Buck. "I ain't doing nothin' for you," he spat.

Buck laughed at that before pulling a switchblade out of his pocket and pressing it to Jimmy's throat in a flash. "I'm not giving you a choice, kid. You're gonna do what I say, or I'm gonna split your neck open."

Jimmy's wide, fearful eyes were enough of a response for Buck.

"Good," the man said with a triumphant grin. "Now, to business..."

* * *

For a year Jimmy had shelter and enough food to survive as long as he worked for Buck. He, like the girls there, had nowhere else to go, and as bad as Buck was, living for him was still better than starving in the streets. Jimmy did all the housework, including any hard labor that was needed. There was always something for the boy to do, especially when Buck discovered what a good pickpocket he was. Jimmy was sent out a number of times to follow and rob the people that Buck specified for him.

Jimmy learned quickly not to cross Buck or to disobey his orders. Making Buck mad always led to a painful night for Jimmy. He'd tried to run away once or twice, but never got very far. He was always either found by Buck or forced to turn back by his own cowardice. It seemed as though he would never be able to escape the life he now found himself in.

When the stock market crashed in late October of 1929, the entire city was immediately affected. People lost their jobs, their homes, all of their worldly possessions as even a little bit of money suddenly became a luxury to have. Everyone suffered, even Buck whose business sales had dropped significantly as men refused to pay his girls for their services. He was starting to panic. He was taking whatever he could get from any customer that was interested in what he had to sell, regardless now of what that interest may be.

"Get in here," Buck growled as he hauled Jimmy along by the already torn collar of his shirt. He tossed the boy roughly to the ground in a sparse room with only a mattress for furnishing inside. Still, it was nicer than where Jimmy normally slept. "Stay there and shut up."

Jimmy obeyed instinctively, though he was still very confused as to what was going on. Buck had a cloth in his hand that he suddenly spat into and brought to the boy's face to scrub at his cheeks. Jimmy pulled back with a confounded, "wha—?" Buck slapped him hard in response, splitting the boy's lip with the impact.

"I told you to shut the hell up, James," Buck hissed. "You've got to look presentable for the customer."

The man straightened up and left the room where Jimmy was still lying stunned on the hard floor. He licked at his sore lip, wincing at the sting and the taste of blood. Droplets of red were already dripping down his chin and staining his shirt, despite Buck's attempt to clean up the boy's face. Jimmy was still perplexed about that. What would he have to do with one of Buck's…_customers_?

Jimmy didn't have long to ponder over that as minutes later the door opened and two men emerged from the hallway. Buck, and a man that Jimmy had never seen before. This man was heavy set, his bloated face embellished by a long, handlebar mustache. His beady dark eyes looked the boy over as he licked his lower lip.

"Thought you said he'd be younger," the man said.

"Well this is what you got," Buck retorted. "Take it or leave it."

The man grinned. "Oh, I'll take it."

Jimmy had bolted to his feet and was slowly backing up against the wall. He didn't like this, not one bit. "Take…take me…_where_?"

Buck's grin grew wider as he nodded to his overweight friend and left the room, closing the door behind him. Jimmy gulped as the large man took a step closer to him.

"Why don't we get that jacket off you, hmm?" he said while he stared down at Jimmy, reaching slowly for the shoulder of the boy's old, battered coat. He grasped the material in his meaty hands and shoved the boy against the wall. Jimmy didn't like being shoved, and he definitely didn't like the way the man was looking at him. So, naturally, he retaliated by jerking his knee up hard between the man's legs.

He released his grip on Jimmy's shoulders and sank to his knees with a thud. Jimmy kicked him again, this time in his flabby stomach, and the man tipped over onto the floor completely, gasping for breath. Jimmy didn't take another look back. He ran to the door and out into the hall.

"What in the hell—?"

Jimmy hadn't seen Buck there, hovering just outside the door. The boy got all the way to the end of the hall and was just turning to go down the stairs when Buck caught up to him. Buck may not have looked like a very strong guy, but he certainly had more than enough stamina to take down the eleven year old. He grasped Jimmy's right arm tightly in his fist and spun the boy around to slam him face first against the wall.

"What did you do, you little bastard?" Buck hissed. "You've ruined me!"

Jimmy blinked stars out of his eyes and felt his cheek and the flesh beneath his left eye already begin to swell and bruise as it scraped against the hard wall. When Jimmy didn't even attempt to answer the man's question, Buck tightened his grasp and twisted his arm up and back until a series of cracks echoed through the hallway.

Blinding pain shot from Jimmy's limb and through his body as he let out an agonizing scream. His entire body went limp and the only thing keeping him upright was Buck's close proximity that shoved against the wall. But when Jimmy cried out, Buck spun him around so that he could smother the boy's mouth with one hand and wrap the other around his throat.

"That's it," Buck jeered. "I've had about enough of you…say hello to your mother for me, will you?"

Jimmy struggled and kicked at Buck's legs as he felt himself suffocating, but Buck never relented. Instead he tightened his grip on the boy's neck. Jimmy squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting Buck's malicious grin to be the last thing he ever saw. He just hoped it would be over soon…

A bang suddenly shot through the hall as the wall just above Jimmy's head was pierced by a bullet. Buck let out a cry of alarm and finally released the boy so he could dive for cover. Jimmy sank to the floor, gasping and coughing while another three rounds were shot off in Buck's direction. The large man from before was standing just outside of the room he'd been in, only now he held a smoking pistol in his hands

"You ripped me off you son of a bitch!" he yelled to Buck who was cowering in the corner with his hands in the air.

"No, no! It was all him…it was the kid! I didn't think he'd fight back, I swear!"

They both turned simultaneously to where Jimmy had been sitting, only to find that the boy was gone. In the shooting commotion, he'd snuck down the stairs and out of the building. Both men howled in anger and dashed after him.

Jimmy sprinted, pushing his injured body to its limit. He was halfway down the street when he heard Buck yelling after him…

"You'd better run James," Buck screamed. "Cause I swear to God when I catch you, I'll make you wish you'd never been born! You're dead, boy. Hear me? You're _dead_!"

He needed to hide before Buck could catch him and follow through with his threat. Jimmy knew the only way he'd be able to get away was if he left the city for good. He ran as quickly as his skinny legs could take him while he clutched his injured arm close to his chest, still coughing occasionally between gasping, choking breaths. He was headed south east, as far as he could go until he hit the Atlantic Ocean. He knew where the docks were, as he'd gone to them many times with the thought of running away. But back then he'd feared the consequences if he were caught stowing away. Now dying at sea seemed like a welcome alternative to dying by Buck's hands.

It was dark and Jimmy kept to the shadows, biting hard on his lip whenever he felt like crying out in pain. He was fortunate enough to find a docked ship with its walkway clear and unguarded. Jimmy didn't even look for the name of the ship, nor did he eavesdrop on nearby sailors to see where it was going. At the time he didn't care. All he knew was that it would be leaving soon.

Jimmy climbed on board unnoticed and eventually found his way downstairs to the cargo hold. He was surprised to see caged animals down there, and he was even more surprised when they shrieked and growled at his intrusion. But he'd gone this far and wasn't about to give up now. He inched away from the creatures towards the farthest end of the room where he found an unoccupied cage.

And there he stayed, curled up in the shadows shivering and crying quietly while he hoped to God that the animals' cries wouldn't alert anyone on the ship to his presence. He wasn't conscious for very long after that, and just before he fell asleep his tortured mind pondered over whether or not he would ever be awakening again.

_

* * *

_

Ah, another chloroform induced flashback :) Just an extremely abridged story of Jimmy's past. I thought up a couple of possible backgrounds for the character, but stuck with this. Hope you guys liked it. Oh and Englehorn fans do not despair--he comes back for the last two chapters.


	9. Hero

**Chapter IX: Hero**

Mr. Hayes wasn't sleeping well. Something kept tugging at his subconscious and keeping him awake. It was like he was forgetting about something, but couldn't put his finger on what it was. Finally he gave up on even trying to sleep and sat up on his cot. He adjusted the cap on his head and saw that the bed on the other side of the room was empty. He wasn't surprised though, as Jimmy had disappeared almost every other night he'd been on the ship. Hayes knew exactly where he would be and he wondered to himself if he should find the kid now that he was already up.

He stretched and left his cabin to find that it was still dark out over the ocean and there were only a few lights left on across the British coast. It must have been some time in the very early morning hours. Hayes groaned, knowing that tomorrow he would definitely regret not being able to sleep through the night.

Hayes came out on deck and rounded a corner, about to head below deck to find Jimmy, when he saw a dark figure moving to the _Venture_'s furthest railing from the dock. It took a second for Hayes' eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once they did he nearly fell over in shock. The figure was hunched over and carrying another, much smaller body over his shoulder. Hayes watched in horror as the smaller body was hauled up and over the railing and dropped into the cold, dark ocean.

"Jimmy!" Hayes yelled as he dashed across the ship's hull to where Jimmy had been tossed overboard.

Mickey turned to the sound and was shocked to see the _Venture_'s first mate sprinting towards him. Hayes gave him a quick, hateful glare and shoved him out roughly out of the way before diving over the side of the ship. He didn't have time to reprimand Mickey now—he needed to save Jimmy before he drowned.

The sea was freezing, but Hayes ignored it and forced himself to swim further down as he reached blindly in the murky darkness. He swung his arms around and forced his eyes opened despite the stinging salt water. His lungs ached but he kept searching, going deeper in the direction that he'd seen Jimmy fall. Or at least he was pretty sure this was the right direction.

He was just about to give up and go back to the surface for a quick breath when his fingers brushed against what felt like thin fabric. It was hard to tell because of how numb his hands were becoming, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was his own shirt—the shirt he'd loaned to the boy he was sharing his room with.

He wrapped both his arms around Jimmy's thin waist and kicked as hard as he could for the surface, which suddenly seemed impossibly far away as his lungs burned fiercely for much needed oxygen. Just when the first mate was beginning to think his body could go no further, Hayes' head broke the surface and he gasped for breath.

"Jimmy," he coughed as he hauled the boy's head above the surface too. "Jimmy…come on kid, say something…"

But the boy was unconscious and Hayes feared the worst. He clutched Jimmy's small, frail body close to his, wary of his splinted right arm, and swam one handed towards the nearby dock. The wooden platform was old and rotted from years of oceanic abuse, but thankfully the ladder held as Hayes heaved himself and Jimmy up out of the water. He laid the boy's freezing body flat on the ground and gently patted at his face, hoping for some sort of a response. But Hayes' fears were confirmed—Jimmy wasn't breathing.

"No, no…Jimmy," he yelled desperately. He pushed hard against the boy's chest and bent down to breath into his mouth before resuming chest compressions once again. He was doing all he could do, but Jimmy wasn't responding. The boy was cold and pale and still… "Come on…_breathe_…please, Jimmy…you gotta breathe for me, kid…"

Hayes leaned down and pinched Jimmy's nose close, about to force oxygen in the boy's lungs again, when Jimmy's body suddenly convulsed and a ragged cough erupted form the his throat. Hayes pulled back a little and gently turned Jimmy to the side and patted his back while he coughed up all the water that he'd swallowed.

"That's it, Jimmy," Hayes said gently with a relieved smile on his face. "Just cough it up…you'll be alright."

Soon Jimmy's coughing had slowed and he took deep, gasping breaths while he curled into a fetal position with a pained look on his face. It took a second for Hayes to notice that the trails of salty water on Jimmy's cheeks hadn't come from the ocean. The boy coughed and sputtered and soon his shaking body was wracked with desperate, pained sobs.

"It's okay, Jimmy," Hayes said as gently as he could. He leaned down and gathered the boy into his arms. "I've got you…you're safe—"

"Not for long, Mr. Hayes," a low and malicious voice growled from behind them.

Hayes turned and came face to face with the barrel of a lethal looking pistol. He clutched Jimmy closer to his chest, though the boy was oblivious to the threat—he was too busy crying and trying to breathe properly to notice that his life was in danger.

"Mickey, you bastard," Hayes hissed at the man holding a gun to his head. "You won't get away with this…"

"With what?" Mickey scoffed. "Murdering a first mate and his little…_pet_? People disappear all the time, Hayes. Who knows…maybe years from now your bloated, decaying bodies will wash up on shore and people will wonder what the hell happened. And when you're gone, I bet I'll be promoted to first mate…" Mickey squeezed tighter on the trigger with a malevolent grin on his face. "Good bye, Mr. Hayes."

The banging of a gunshot filled the night air and Hayes gasped but didn't feel his head explode. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all, except for the shaking body in his arms. He watched in shock while Mickey's grip on the gun slackened and his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed to the dock in a growing pool of his own blood.

"You alright, Mr. Hayes?" a calm accented voice asked.

Captain Englehorn stepped forward out of the shadows, his pistol still smoking in his hand.

Hayes nodded gratefully. "Yeah…I'm okay. Thanks, captain. But how did you—"

"I never stray far from my ship, Mr. Hayes," Englehorn said. He stepped forward and lightly kicked at Mickey's still body, just to make sure he was really dead. "I always suspected something fishy was going on. I just never thought one of my own crew was responsible."

Englehorn casually glanced around the dimly lit docks and made sure no one had been around to see the murder. No one was, so the _Venture_'s captain carefully grasped Mickey by his arms and dragged the dead weight over to the edge of the dock. Mickey fell with a splash and was gone, leaving nothing but a red stain on the wood where his body had been moments before.

"That's the last we'll see of him," the captain muttered before coming back to Hayes and Jimmy. He shrugged off his dry coat and passed it to his first mate, who nodded his thanks and wrapped it around Jimmy's shivering shoulders. The boy was quiet now, save for the wheezing breaths and occasional gasping coughs. He looked absolutely exhausted as he laid limply against Hayes' chest, still oblivious to what was going on around him.

"Is Jimmy alright?"

Hayes gave a little shrug. "He almost drowned, but I think he'll be alright now."

Englehorn stared deeply in his first mate's eyes. "You really do care about this boy, don't you Ben?"

Hayes was taken back for a moment by the question, and then by the use of his first name. No one ever called him Ben. "Yes, captain," he said softly. "I do."

An amused smile crossed Englehorn's face for a moment before he changed back to his usual somber expression. "He has proven himself to be a valued asset to our voyage this past week, for entertainment, at least. The rest of the crew has taken a liking to the boy, and I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be able to keep him onboard."

Hayes blinked in surprise. "So…"

"So if Jimmy wants to stay he can stay. Besides—I don't want to be responsible for bringing the boy back to New York City to whoever he was running from in the first place."

Hayes grinned. He didn't know how Englehorn knew, but then again the captain always seemed to know. "Thank you, captain."

"Don't mention it. Now get back on board before you both freeze to death."

"Right away, captain," Hayes said as he straightened up with the now sleeping Jimmy held in his arms. He walked slowly back up to the _USS Venture_'s deck and turned to thank Englehorn one last time for saving his and Jimmy's life, only to find that captain had disappeared again into the shadows.

Hayes shook his head and continued on into the ship to his cabin where he laid Jimmy down on his bed. He pulled a warm blanket up over the boy's body and grinned when he saw Jimmy's expression change from one of fear and agony into a contented smile, as though even while he was unconscious the boy knew that for once in his life, everything was going to be okay.

* * *

_Only one chapter to go. I really can't thank you guys enough for all the wonderful reviews :)_


	10. Future

**Chapter X: Future**

Four years later…

The journey back to New York was long and treacherous for the _USS Venture_, especially now that more than half of its crew was gone and it was stowing hefty cargo below deck. With men like Lumpy, Choy, and first mate Mr. Hayes dead and gone forever the cargo ship had become a bleak and gloomy place. There was no more singing or dancing or joking around. The few of the crew that survived kept to themselves—even the captain of the ship spent his days holed up in his cabin. Meanwhile Carl Denham bustled around, talking of the money and fame that they were going to receive when they returned to the States. How he dealt with the loss of his coworkers—his _friends_—so quickly was a mystery to Jimmy at least. He for one felt more lost and alone than ever before.

Jimmy had liked Anne Darrow and thought that he could find some solace with her while he was grieving. She reminded him of his mother, and not just because of the wide blue eyes or the wavy blonde hair. It was her lifestyle, her talents, the way she carried herself that was so familiar to him. Anne even had that same sadness to her that she hid behind a warm smile, despite the fact that deep down inside she just felt used, lost, and out of control. It was the smile that she, like Jimmy's mother, wore for the benefit of those around her.

But after Anne was saved and that…that _monster_ had been captured, she became a completely different person. She was angry and reserved and never, ever smiled. She barely left her tiny cabin and never made eye contact with anyone on board, not even Jimmy. And suddenly, the boy couldn't remember why he'd ever liked her in the first place.

Jimmy spent the majority of the journey alone below deck, where he'd always spent most of his time anyway. But now his space was invaded by a giant ape that needed to be constantly sedated or it would destroy the ship from the inside out. Jimmy would sit in his usual corner and glare hatefully at the beast with tears in his eyes. Before the adventure on Skull Island, Jimmy hadn't cried since that time Mr. Hayes had saved him from drowning. Now all he did was cry.

And Mr. Hayes…Mr. Hayes was gone forever. All that was left was the man's cap, which Jimmy kept jammed on his head at all times. The first mate had been the closest thing to a father the boy had ever had, and the pain of losing Mr. Hayes was like losing another parent. He hadn't felt this distraught and lost since his mother died.

Jimmy sniffled and wiped his sleeve across his tear filled eyes so he could stare at the sleeping beast before him. This oversized monkey had ruined everything. The _Venture_ was no longer the same place that the boy had come to call home. Jimmy's life had made sense for those brief few years. He'd been happy. And now…now he didn't know what he was going to do.

* * *

They were docked in New York City for a long time, first to unload their massive cargo and then for Englehorn to recruit sailors to replace the crew he'd lost. But before he could even set foot off of his ship he had to fend off the photographers and news reporters who had come to see Carl Denham's infamous monster. King Kong. What a joke. And Englehorn wanted nothing to do with it, especially now when he was still grieving over his lost crew members—his comrades.

So he sat on the railing off the deck of his ship, facing the open ocean while he puffed on his cigarette. This was where he belonged. Not in the big city, with its glitz and glamour and news reporters. Out at sea on the _Venture _he was free. He watched as the sun dipped down over the horizon and painted the clouds a deep red and violet hue. It was beautiful.

"Hey, captain," a soft voice said next to him.

Englehorn had thought he was alone on his ship while everyone else got their five minutes of fame for capturing the great ape. But the crew's youngest apparently hadn't strayed far as he now climbed up on the railing to sit next to the captain.

"Hello, Jimmy."

They sat in silence for a while, just watching the sun set as they were each deep in their own thoughts. When the sun finally disappeared, taking with it the streaks of color in the sky leaving a deep, starless blue overhead. Englehorn took one last puff of his cigarette and tossed it into the ocean.

"I…I just wanted to say, that I'm gonna here stay this time."

Englehorn had suspected as much. The boy had been distraught after losing Hayes, and being on the _Venture_ would only be a constant painful reminder of his loss. The captain merely nodded in response and after a moment Jimmy spoke again.

"One time, about a year ago, while we were here at the city and I went to the library, I looked up some old newspapers and found out that Buck was dead," Jimmy said matter-of-factly.

Englehorn glanced at the boy. "The man that hurt you?"

Jimmy nodded. "He…he lost all his money after the stock crashed. So a few months after I got away he apparently put the barrel of a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger."

This was the most Englehorn or anyone, even Mr. Hayes, had ever heard of the boy's past. But Jimmy had never needed to say anything for them to know that he had come from a very, very bad place.

"I didn't leave then 'cause I liked it on the _Venture_. But now…"

"You've lost your friend, Jimmy. I understand."

"Yeah," the boy said sadly as he stared down into the sea. "I just...I guess I just need to say…that I'm sorry for leaving when you're already short on guys…"

"It's alright, lad. I've traveled with crews smaller than this before. Besides—Hayes and I never wanted you to stay on the ship for the rest of your life."

Jimmy sighed. "Yeah…he always was saying that."

"You're a young man now, Jimmy," Englehorn said simply. "You need to get out and have yourself a real life. Get a real job with a suit and briefcase and settle down with a pretty girl. After you've done all that, if she breaks your heart and you lose everything, then you can come live your life on the seas."

Jimmy looked up at the captain. "Is that what happened to you, sir?"

"It's not always easy, Jimmy," Englehorn said, his thoughts far away as he gazed out over the ocean. "Leaving your life behind forever. You need a really good reason to never go back."

Jimmy nodded as he listened to the captain's words of wisdom. "Thank you, sir."

They sat in silence again, now watching the reflections of the brightly lit skyscrapers in the dark water. Englehorn didn't know how much time passed after that. He barely heard Jimmy leave the rail they'd been sitting on. He gave the boy one last reassuring pat on the back which Jimmy returned with a sad smile. Then he was gone, leaving Englehorn to sit alone in the darkness contemplating life and thinking of all the people he'd lost and left behind.

He thought about Jimmy and though he felt like he was letting the kid down by letting him go off on his own, he also knew in his heart that Jimmy would be okay. If anyone deserved to make a good life for themselves, it was the sad, broken boy they'd found in the _Venture _cargo hold all those years ago.

END.

* * *

_Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and favorited my story. I'm glad I was finally able to finish and post it for you all to enjoy :) __But don't look for any more King Kong stories from me. I loved the movie, but I think the hype has died down considerably. Oh well. __I'm posting my next National Treasure story next week, so look for that if you want to. Thank again for reading :)_


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